You’ve probably heard the phrase "Meet me at the Eagle." If you grew up in or around Philly, it’s basically coded into your DNA. That massive bronze bird in the Grand Court of the Wanamaker Building has been the default GPS coordinate for generations of shoppers. But if you take the elevator up to the 9th floor, you hit something even more legendary, though a bit more exclusive these days: the Crystal Tea Room.
Honestly, the scale of this place is hard to wrap your head around unless you’re standing in the middle of it. We’re talking about a room that, back in its prime, was one of the largest dining halls on the planet. Not just in Pennsylvania. The world.
Why the Wanamaker Building Crystal Tea Room actually matters
Most people think of the Crystal Tea Room as just a fancy wedding venue. It is that—and a very popular one, run by Finley Catering—but its history is way weirder and more ambitious than your standard ballroom.
John Wanamaker wasn't just a guy who sold suits. He was a pioneer who basically invented the "experience" of shopping. When the "Grand New Store" was finished around 1911, he wanted a place where the social elite and everyday shoppers could break bread. He didn't just want a cafeteria; he wanted a statement.
The room was modeled after the Philadelphia mansion of Robert Morris (the guy who financed the American Revolution). It’s got these massive hand-carved columns and enough crystal chandeliers to make a palace look dim. At its peak, the tea room could seat 1,400 people at once. Imagine that. Fourteen hundred people having breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea in a single sitting.
It wasn't just about the food. It was about the "white glove" service. Back in the day, ladies would show up in their Sunday best—hats, gloves, the whole nine yards—just to have a chicken salad sandwich and a pot of tea. It was the place to see and be seen.
The Atrium: A secret garden in the sky
If you visit today for an event, the first thing that hits you isn't the ballroom itself. It’s the Atrium.
Because the Wanamaker Building is so massive (it takes up a whole city block between Market and Chestnut), the architects had to figure out how to get light into the middle of the structure. They built this soaring glass-enclosed conservatory.
- Year-round greenery: Even in the middle of a slushy Philly February, it looks like a summer garden.
- The Fountain: There’s a classic fountain that provides that "expensive background noise" for cocktail hours.
- Natural Light: It’s a photographer’s dream because of the way the sun hits the glass 9 stories up.
Most guests spend their cocktail hour here before being ushered into the main ballroom. It feels like you’re outside, but without the humidity or the chance of a rogue pigeon ruining your hors d'oeuvres.
What happened to the public restaurant?
This is where the story gets a little bittersweet for some locals. For decades, the Crystal Tea Room was open to the public. You could just walk in.
But as the department store world shifted—moving from Wanamaker’s to Lord & Taylor, then Hecht’s, and eventually Macy’s—the 9th floor changed. In the mid-90s, during one of the many corporate reshuffles, the public restaurant officially bit the dust.
Today, it’s strictly a private event space. You can't just wander in for a scone anymore. You either need to be on a wedding guest list, attending a corporate gala, or perhaps one of those massive New Year's Eve parties they throw.
The "Greatest Hits" of the 9th Floor
Since the room is now private, a lot of the original "hidden" details are missed by the average Macy’s shopper.
- The Chandeliers: They aren't just for show. They are actual crystal and require a specialized team just to clean them.
- The Woodwork: Those columns aren't plaster painted to look like wood. They are genuine, heavy-duty carved oak.
- The Layout: Despite its size, the room was designed to feel intimate. The way the columns break up the space keeps it from feeling like a giant warehouse.
Interestingly, the Wanamaker Building still houses the world's largest playable pipe organ just a few floors down. Sometimes, if the timing is right during an event, you can almost feel the vibration of those 28,000+ pipes through the floorboards.
Actionable Tips for Visiting or Booking
If you’re looking at the Crystal Tea Room for an event or just want to appreciate the building, here is the "insider" way to do it:
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- Public Access: If you want to see the building’s grandeur without a wedding invite, stick to the Grand Court on the ground floor. The Organ concerts happen daily (except Sundays) at 12:00 PM and 5:30 PM.
- The Best Photo Op: If you ARE attending an event at the Tea Room, don't just take photos inside. Walk across the street to the City Hall courtyard. The architecture of the Wanamaker Building against the backdrop of City Hall is the quintessential Philadelphia shot.
- Capacity Reality: While the room can hold over 1,000 people, it feels best with a crowd of 300 to 600. Any more and the dance floor gets a bit tight; any less and the room can feel a bit "empty" because of its massive scale.
- Parking Hack: Don't try to find street parking in Center City. There is a garage directly under the Wanamaker Building. It’s expensive, but when it’s raining and you’re in formal wear, it’s worth every penny.
The Crystal Tea Room remains a massive piece of Philadelphia’s social fabric. It’s a survivor of an era where department stores were the center of the universe. Even if you can't get a public lunch there anymore, the fact that it’s still standing—and still dripping in crystal—is a win for the city's history.
To see it today is to see John Wanamaker’s vision of a "monument to commerce" still breathing, even if the menu has changed from tea and finger sandwiches to high-end wedding catering.